Chapter XIX: The Blue Box

It was eight o'clock when Jed Granger, a youth of eighteen, who acted as a sort of under gardener at the Towers, left a hamper at the Lee home.

"Here's a note from Alene," explained Laura, running her eyes over the sheet of tinted paper. "Of all the foolish things to do!"

Ivy sat beside the kitchen table, writing a neat label for Mrs. Kump's jar of jam. She glanced up at Laura.

"Well?"

"Just listen! Mother, listen to this!"

"Laura Dear:--

Good luck! Uncle Fred gave me two dollars to buy something for Mrs. Kump. Didn't have time to consult you or Ivy but I know you will be pleased! It's on top of the hamper. Be sure and look at it.

Good-bye!
"Alene D."

"Candy! Let's look at it!"

Laura, still wearing a look of disgust, opened the package, displaying a box of pale blue and silver tied with narrow ribbons, which after a careful untying and lifting of the lid disclosed a splendor of lace-work and tinsel-paper, over layer upon layer of bon bons and candied fruit, with a cute little silver tongs.

"Delicious! And what a beautiful box!"

"It's certainly very fine!"

"But for old Mrs. Kump!" cried Laura. "The money or something substantial would do so much better!"

"There's plenty of substantials in Alene's hamper," said Mrs. Lee. "Butter, coffee, tea."

"But this fine candy and the ribbons and fixings! It's like throwing the money away!" said Laura sharply, as she wrapped up the box and replaced it on the hamper.

Though Ivy had doubts of the usefulness of Alene's gift, she felt a certain satisfaction in having it to send along with the more practical things; she wished she had a volume of her own poetry, bound in blue with the name just as she had often pictured it in silver letters, "Early Blossoms," to send; it would go so well with Alene's box. Laura's condemnation, however, made this seem a foolish desire, which she would not dare to mention.

They returned to the work of getting everything ready for the boys to carry to Mrs. Kump. Ivy completed her label and pasted it on the jar, where the fancy initials looked effective. Laura and her mother proceeded with the packing. The former still wore a disapproving countenance and her vexation hung round them like a cloud.

"This reminds me of something that happened to me once upon a time," said Mrs. Lee, who had occasion to move the hamper. Ivy smiled encouragingly.

"Ob, a story, a story! Come and sit here, Lol, and listen!"

"Once upon a time," Mrs. Lee began, "I and my cousin Clementina, just about my own age, ten years, were the best of chums, even thicker than you Happy-Go-Lucky girls, for we had just ourselves to play with, all the other members of both families being much older; the next in age was my sister Roxana, going on sixteen. Clemmie and I used to watch the store windows and I remember one day we stood transfixed at a new display in Smithley's drug store. In addition to drugs, they sold many other things, so there we stood, Clemmie admiring a pair of pink garters with silver buckles, while I looked longingly at a volume of _Jane Eyre_.

"'Only thirty cents! If I only had a pair!' sighed Clementina.

"'A dollar and a half,' I lamented, for in those days there were no cheap editions of books.

"Day after day on our way to and from school we stopped before our idols. Clem told me she often dreamed of that pair of garters with its shining buckles!

"'Saturday's my birthday; if some kind, rich old gentleman would happen along and adopt me before then, the first thing I'd ask for would be a pair of pink garters like these!'

"That day when I reached home I found a small package which my godmother, Mrs. Keyes, had left for me. It was a pretty handkerchief with my initial in the corner, and knotted inside was a silver half dollar. To me that was quite a fortune and Roxana gave me much advice as to its disposal, but I scarcely heard what she said; I was thinking of something else; you can guess what it was."

"Yes, we know, we know," cried Ivy.

"Friday evening, I sneaked away from Clem and went to Smithley's.

"I could hardly control my voice to speak when the proprietor came forward. I had come to a halt near the show window.

"'What's your lowest price for _Jane Eyre_?' I found myself saying.

"'A dollar and a half. It's a most fascinating book, but for your own reading I'd advise--'

"'Thank you, sir, but I think I'll buy those.'

"I pointed to the garters. Mr. Smithley wrapped them up and tied the package with a pink and white cord.

"I could hardly wait to get home before opening the precious parcel. I wanted to show it to mother the first thing, but she was not in and I proudly displayed it to Roxana. She eyed the garters dubiously.

"'Very easily soiled! How much did you pay for them?'

"'Thirty cents, at Smithley's.'

"'Thirty cents! The idea! For something you can't wear!'

"'I don't intend wearing them! It's my present for Clementina's birthday!'

"'You foolish thing! Why didn't you consult me? A pair of black ones would wear so much longer!'

"Roxana's manner did not chill my pleasure. I went upstairs and wrote an inscription on a card:--

"'For Clementina on her Tenth Birthday, from Edna,' and placed it with the garters.

"I could hardly wait for the next day! I pictured Clem's surprise and rapture.

"Mother came home, and after supper I slipped away to get the package to show to her. I knew when I returned to the sitting-room, that Roxana had told her about my purchase and how she regarded it.

"She said it was pretty but--well, they kept on about it, until I began to think myself a culprit. I could hardly see the pink garters for my tears. At last Roxana suggested an exchange. By that time I didn't care for anything; all my pleasure in the gift was spoiled.

"'I'll not give Clementina anything,' I said.

"'Don't be unreasonable, child, the black garters will be so useful,' chided my mother.

"'But Clementina admired these!'

"'She never dreamed of owning them, though,' said Roxana.

"'Yes, she did!'

"Well, it resulted in Roxana's carrying off my foolish purchase and coming back with her sensible one.

"I can smile at it now, but at the time it was a real tragedy to me. Mother never suspected my disappointment. We were all so used to accepting Roxana's opinions as laws that to rebel against them would lay oneself open to the charge of treason.

"Well, the next day I went to Clementina's. She came running down to the front gate to meet me.

"'Happy birthday,' I faltered, thrusting the little package into her hands.

"'Why, Edna,' she said, but I hurried away, not daring to wait to see her open it.

"That was apparently the end of our friendship.

"When we met again, Clementina treated me very coolly; I was terribly cut up but I did not blame her. I knew it would have been better taste not to have given her anything, but it was too late then.

"For several days we kept apart.

"I avoided Smithley's window, but one day I stopped before it almost in spite of myself. There hung the pink garters, with their shining buckles. They seemed to mock my chagrin. Then all at once Clementina stood at my side. She held out her hand!

"'Forgive me, Edna, I might have known it was Roxana!'

"My lip trembled.

"'Carrie Smithley told me just now. You see, she was in the store when you bought the pink garters and when Roxana returned them she told Mr. Smithley what a foolish thing you had bought; she said you were too stubborn to come back yourself and she had to do it. She always had to do the things the rest of the family shirked!'

"I had to smile at Clem's mimicking Roxana, it was so true to life.

"Poor Clem! She said she never expected me to give her anything, but when she opened the parcel and saw the black garters, she rushed into the darkened parlor and cried and cried, on the sofa behind the door! Not because of the garters, but because she expected different treatment from me--'It just seemed like a slap in the face,' she said."

"I guess it did," murmured Ivy. "Is that the end?"

"There's a kind of a sequel," said Mrs. Lee with a smile. "Clementina gave a glance into Smithley's window.

"'Say, Edna, would you care if--'

"'Oh, Clem, I'd be so glad!' said I."

"And so it ended happily after all!" cried Ivy.

"Yes; and Cousin Clem has them to this day--put away in a cedar box that belonged to her mother!"

Laura smiled rather doubtfully.

"And of course there's a moral, Mother Lee, but this is different!"

Going home, Ivy talked the matter over with her mother.

"I'm inclined to take Mrs. Lee's view. The poem says 'Give to the hungry potatoes,' but I guess it doesn't mean to give potatoes only!" said that lady.